Which Cork Premier Senior hurling teams were strongest in attack this year?
Bishopstown’s Daire Daly breaks away during their PSHC relegation playoff with Charleville. Picture: Chani Anderson
The best teams in hurling are those that can find scorers from all over the field.
That’s why Imokilly were so unstoppable in their pursuit of the Seán Óg Murphy Cup. It’s also why Sarsfields were the team to face them in the final.
You compare those two to the beaten semi-finalists – Midleton and Blackrock. While both are teams of immense quality, their over-reliance on one forward at times can be problematic.
It’s why Conor Lehane finished as the championship top scorer, and Alan Connolly finished fourth in the rankings.
Scores win games be it points or goals, but how do the 12 Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship clubs stack up in points per game (PPG)?
You would think the number one spot would have gone to Sarsfields or Midleton, given the sheer volume of scores the two clubs managed across the 2024 campaign. But neither of them take the number one spot.
It’s not Blackrock either.
It’s Charleville, who, despite being in a relegation playoff after finishing the group stage winless – managed 26.8 PPG.
While that average is certainly aided by the 3-24 (33) they scored against Bishopstown, for a team that failed to win a single group game, they accumulated a significant number of points.
Clearly, the north Cork side’s defensive issues were the reason for their shortcomings. But it remains an 8.3 PPG improvement on last year, where they were ranked 11th overall in offensive output.
Even if you eliminate the relegation playoff against Bishopstown – they still finished with 24.7 PPG, enough to rank them fifth overall. A huge improvement, and something that could stand to the team in 2025.
Tim Hawe’s personal tally of 7-7 has gone a long way in aiding that.
Sars and Midleton unsurprisingly take second and third, with 25.4 PPG each. Both clubs improved on last year.
While Blackrock hit more goals than any team in 2024 (13), their PPG is still down on last season, dye to the fact they only hit 20 white flags in one of their five games, the semi-final loss to Imokilly.
Kanturk and Newtownshandrum both improved going forward compared to last year, making gains of 3.2 and 2 PPG respectively.
Arguably the biggest shock among all is the fall off of St Finbarr’s. The southsiders managed a staggering 27.8 PPG last year as they made it to the semi-final stage, but this season could only muster 21.3 PPG, ranking them seventh overall.
Erin’s Own take the eighth spot for the second consecutive year, with a 0.1 PPG increase.
Fr O’Neill’s improved by 1.3 PPG, but of their 4-68 (80 points) Declan Dalton accounts for 51 points, or 63.7%. Without the services of the Cork senior they’d have been much less threatening going forward.
Newcestown matched the Ballymacoda/Ladysbridge outfit as they also averaged 20 PPG, a decent first impression at premier senior.
Another big shock though is the lack of scoring threat from Douglas, who went from the sixth best offence in 2023, to 11th in 2024. They averaged a pitiful 18.3 PPG, only 0.7 better than what Bishopstown picked up last season.
The worst team overall though was Bishopstown, unsurprisingly.
In four games, the Town could only conjure a mere 14 PPG. While defensively they were much more frail this year compared to last, the total lack of attacking threat is ultimately what led to their drop to senior A.
Given the competitiveness within the top grade in Cork hurling, results are greatly impacted by the most minimal of improvements. Equally, the smallest of errors can have such drastic consequences.
It’s always cutthroat, but I can’t see any team replicating Bishopstown’s poor 2024 record anytime soon.
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